This invention relates generally to the field of nut butter and jelly food products, and more particularly to a pre-formed nut butter and jelly slice and a method and apparatus for making such slices.
The combination of peanut butter and jelly has been, and continues to be, a favorite and desirable food product for people of all ages. In fact, one could say that peanut butter and jelly sandwiches have been a staple lunchbox food for years.
Traditionally, peanut butter and jelly products have been marketed and sold separately in individual jars or other suitable containers. To make a sandwich, an hors d'oeuvre or other food product, peanut butter and jelly are taken from the individual containers and spread on a piece of bread, a cracker or other suitable food substrate.
To decrease the time and effort required to make peanut butter and jelly food products, and also to lessen the mess generated in the process, peanut butter and jelly have been combined and packaged together in a single container. Usually, as shown and described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,117,871, 3,552,980 and 3,615,591, the peanut butter and the jelly have been swirled and/or layered together in the food containers. The swirled layers are intended to allow one who is making a peanut butter and jelly food product to retrieve a sufficient amount of both peanut butter and jelly to make a tasty sandwich or other treat.
While the above-described peanut butter and jelly packaging techniques have proven to be satisfactory, one must still remove the peanut butter and jelly from the respective container(s) to spread it on a food substrate, such as bread or crackers. This removal and spreading process is time consuming and messy, especially for smaller children. Therefore, a peanut butter and jelly packaging technique that allows for the ready and mess-free use of peanut butter and jelly would be advantageous.